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1990-Bertha

Bertha made landfall as a category one hurricane over southeastern Cape Breton, Nova Scotia on August 2 at 0530 UTC with winds of 120 km/h.

Rainfall image map of Hurricane Bertha, which made landfall as a category one hurricane over southeastern Cape Breton, Nova Scotia on August 2, 1990 at 0530 UTC. Maximum provincial rainfalls: 57 millimetres in New Brunswick, 112 millimetres in Prince Edward Island, 194 millimetres in Nova Scotia and 64 millimetres in Newfoundland

Hurricane Bertha originated near North Carolina on July 24, 1990. Developing into a category one hurricane, Bertha’s winds reached a maximum of 129 km/h. It remained as a category one hurricane as it entered the CHC Response Zone on July 30 and carried winds of 130 km/h as it entered Canadian waters on the morning of August 1. Winds remained at this strength as Bertha made landfall over eastern Cape Breton before dawn on August 2. Six crewmembers of a cargo ship were lost in the North Atlantic south of Nova Scotia.Heavy rain and high winds that were experienced caused some damage in the Atlantic region. Hurricane Bertha dissipated later on August 2. The CHC issued 26 Hurricane Information Statements.

Estimated Cost of Damage: $4.427 million (CDD)

High surf battered the shoreline with up to 190 mm of rain (CDD)

Prince Edward Island’s corn and tobacco crops were affected the most (CDD)

Bertha generated considerable national interest in Canada (CHC)

Several reports of wind gusts over 110 km/h (CHC)

Rainfall totals as high as 175 mm (CHC)

High surf conditions along the coast of Nova Scotia resulted in several people being washed into the sea; all were rescued (CHC)

Offshore moored buoys reported seas as high as 15 m (CHC)

Hurricane Bertha started tracking in the Canadian Hurricane Centre response zone at position 1 outlined in green, with winds of 64 knots east of storm centre and occurred southeast of Nova Scotia. It then moved northward to position 2 outlined in yellow, making landfall in eastern Cape Breton with winds of 48 knots east of storm centre. It then moved off into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and made a northeast turn to position 3 outlined in brown at winds of 34 knots. The storm made landfall again over eastern Quebec and then tracked out into the Labrador Sea. As it tracked through Atlantic Canada the storm reached a maximum wind speed of 65 knots, with an mslp of 975 millibar

Nova Scotia

August 2, 1990

Six crewmembers of the cargo ship, Corazon, sailing 560 km south-southwest of Cape Cod were lost (G)

120 km/h winds where reported at Sable Island (G)

No damage or injuries were reported except at Peggy’s Cove, where six people were brought to hospital, when several of them where washed over into the ocean by the large waves. All people were pulled from the ocean but some had injuries ranging from cuts to a sore back (ET)

PrinceEdward Island

August 3, 1990

100 km/h winds were reported on the island (G)

Hurricane Bertha wrecked a greenhouse and flattened both tobacco and corn crops due to heavy rain and high winds in Kings County (G)